top gun

noun

: one who is at the top (as in ability, rank, or prestige)

Examples of top gun in a Sentence

He's the team's top gun. The company has its top guns handling the lawsuit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The coach might want to ride the wave since his young top gun won’t always seek permission. Ben Standig, The Athletic, 10 Aug. 2024 River City Firearms gun dealer was found to be one of the top gun shops in the U.S. selling firearms last year that were later used in crimes, including the Old National Bank shooting in Louisville. Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 18 Feb. 2024 Four of the nation’s top gun control advocates have joined the effort by President Joe Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to regulate, tax, and eventually snuff out one of the most popular firearms in America, the AR pistol. Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Jan. 2024 One of the top puns top guns was Darren Cunningham, of Kearny Mesa. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for top gun 

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of top gun was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near top gun

Cite this Entry

“Top gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20gun. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on top gun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!